ID confirmed; Man found in Cedar Creek is Robert Steinbrecker

Family thanks community for support

It has been confirmed that the body found in Cedar Creek late Friday afternoon is Robert Steinbrecker, 24, according to the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office.

Crews began arriving there shortly after 9 a.m., when a passerby reported seeing a hat on the ice of Cedar Creek in Cedarburg.

It was about a mile downstream from where Steinbrecker, 24, was last seen alive. Friends said he ran off on the creek's ice in the early morning hours of Dec. 27.

What began as a visual search of the area expanded throughout the course of the day, as the dive teams from the Cedarburg and Grafton fire departments used every resource, hoping to find Steinbrecker's body.

They drilled holes in the ice with augers to lower a camera underwater. They later attacked the ice with chain saws, cutting large patches away to make it easier to see the waters above the dam on Highland Drive.

As the day progressed, the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office even brought in two cadaver dogs in hopes they could pinpoint where Steinbrecker could be.

The dogs tentatively walked the ice, and even ventured out in a small boat, but it wasn't until divers in full gear went underwater using lights and cameras that they finally were able to locate the body.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

Meanwhile, Steinbrecker's family members are thanking the community for its support.

"On behalf of the entire Steinbrecker family, we want to thank all of our friends, the entire Cedarburg community and all who have prayed for Bob's return. We have deep faith and know that our son, brother and friend, Bob, is with God," said Steinbrecker's father, Jack Steinbrecker in a statement.

The family also thanked law enforcement officers, rescue teams and volunteers who helped in finding Steinbrecker.

"Special thank you to the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Department and the police and Fire and rescue of the surrounding communities of Cedarburg, Grafton, Mequon, Saukville, Thiensville, Milwaukee and the many others who provided volunteers to help find Bob," Jack Steinbrecker said. "Thank you also to the media who provided continual coverage for Robert Steinbrecker and all of the young people who went missing over the last couple of weeks."